Magnesium’s Role In Osteoporosis
As per Dr. Carolyn Dean, MD, ND, magnesium expert and Medical Director of the non-profit Nutritional Magnesium Association, the benefits that can be had from taking calcium either through diet or the route of supplements to improve and maintain good bone health can be impaired without a corresponding adequate intake of magnesium.
According to Dean, an equal or 1:1 ratio for calcium-magnesium is necessary to reap the benefits of calcium intake for bone health. It is believed that magnesium keeps the calcium dissolved in the blood. It has been found that without adequate quantities of magnesium, the calcium would calcify leaving deposits in the kidney causing stones or even calcification of cardiovascular arteries and bone joints. (1)
Dr. Dean clearly outlined the magnesium-vitamin D-calcium relationship that is so important for optimal absorption and metabolism of calcium. She was quoted as saying, "Magnesium is a vital nutrient that works synergistically with both calcium and vitamin D. Adequate levels of magnesium in the body are essential for the absorption and metabolism not only of vitamin D but of calcium, because magnesium converts vitamin D into its active form so that it can help calcium absorption. Magnesium also stimulates a particular hormone, calcitonin, which helps to preserve bone structure and draws calcium out of the blood and soft tissues back into the bones, impacting the possibility of osteoporosis, some forms of arthritis and kidney stones." (2)
Common reasons cited for the lack of magnesium in our diets have been:
• Modern farming practices
• Food processing procedures
• Increased consumption of soda/ soft drink which leach vital minerals out of the body
In as recent as April 2011, a study was published in the journal Biological Trace Element Research, after studying 484 young healthy women with the objective of observing if improving dietary intake of magnesium may positively impact bone quality in this population. It spoke of finding a positive relationship between magnesium intake in healthy young adults and its relation to good bone quality. (3)
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